Algeria President Tebboune’s Visit to France Still Not Finalized

French President Emmanuel Macron and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune

Africa News with AFP

 29/12 - 13:18

The state visit of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to France is "still the subject of preparations", affirmed the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, specifying that it depends on the settlement of five files.

“In all sincerity, the conditions of this visit are not suitable,” declared Mr. Attaf in an interview given Wednesday evening to Atheer, the platform of the Qatari channel Al Jazeera.

Mr. Attaf listed the issues of memory, mobility, economic cooperation, the French nuclear tests in the Algerian Sahara of the restitution of the sword as well as the burnous of Emir Abdelkader.

Even though "the president had to go to the Château d'Amboise where the Emir Abdelkader was imprisoned (...) the French authorities refused (to return the Emir's sword and burnous) arguing the need to a law", indicated the minister.

Concerning the French nuclear tests, Mr. Attaf indicated that Algeria was demanding "recognition of the damage caused" as well as "compensation".

Between 1960 and 1966, France carried out 17 nuclear tests on the sites of Reggane, then In Ekker, in the Algerian Sahara. Documents declassified in 2013 revealed significant radioactive fallout that stretched from West Africa to southern Europe.

“We have not reached agreements on five major and heavy issues. But we continue to work on them,” reiterated the minister, emphasizing that visits between officials of the two countries are continuing to prepare for this state visit.

At the beginning of August, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared that his state visit to France was "still maintained" but depended "on the program" of the Élysée, specifying that a "state visit has conditions" and "no "It's not a tourist visit. "

The visit, first scheduled for the beginning of May, was postponed until June, the Algerians fearing that it would be spoiled by the May 1 demonstrations against the highly contested pension reform in France, according to consistent sources.

This visit was to mark the improvement between the two countries after numerous diplomatic crises.